the one where Gillian meets an angel

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‘May you enjoy good fortune as expansive as the Eastern sky and longevity as long as the Southern mountain’


Well I didn’t think I would come to Beijing and meet an angel but this week I was invited to attend a Chinese wedding and thinking it might be very different I was pleased to go - and there I met an angel, well 2 actually. In the absence of cute and appropriately aged relations these two got hired and paid for their services and with one wedding every half an hour and the next one waiting in the courtyard -they are doing very nicely thank you! Fortunately it was a beautiful sunny morning and there is no tradition of not seeing the bride beforehand, so bride and groom and guests all casually mingled waiting for their turn - another consequence of the sheer numbers here. The dresses were European in style plus the usual formal hairdo’s and young grooms looking uncomfortable in unfamiliar suits, but certainly not the lavish productions we have almost come to expect in the UK. The guests were dressed the same as to go shopping and you would not have been able to pick out the mother-of-the-bride. My friend was bridesmaid which basically meant adding a flower to her outfit. Interestingly, although China is officially atheist, church weddings are very popular. There was a choir, which sang all the words of “Here comes the bride”, in Chinese, of course. They sign the register at the front and proudly show the certificate to prove its legal. Then it’s exit to the traditional Wedding March, while the next set of guest are already starting to shuffle in.

I don't know if this one was typical, but it was a quite a low key yet still formal adaptation of our ceremony. However I believe festivities start at home a couple of hours before and continue with a grand Chinese banquet, for that the bride wears an expensive traditional Chinese style dress - known here as a qipao, so not that different really. It's very nice that my new Chinese friends are inviting me to join in various social occasions so I have kept pretty busy so far.

Please note my new signature - this is my official Chinese name, surname first, their style, given to me at work so I can be included in the Minutes. It is as close as they can get to my English name and means something like dawn / beautiful / peace……….. I quite like it! Many of my colleagues are keen to adopt an English name but they are sometimes unusual choices; I have an Alex, Tommy, Fiona, a couple Traceys and even one called Echo…even one called Echo….one called Echo.

Ji, Li An x

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Photos

my friend Lui, Jie
the chief bridesmaid

Comments

[Deserie]

Hi Ji Li An... love it! Your bringing back so many happy memories of Hong Kong for me. I had a yo yo in my class and i often wonder where the youngsters are now /.... prob not so young now though if I am honest! Sounds like China suits you my friend .... lifes experiences which will, no doubt, be fond memories one day ... so enjoy and be safe and happy. D